Spain

Espanyol Snap Barca’s 29-Game Unbeaten Run With Dramatic 88th Minute Winner

The Barcelona Derby doesn’t exactly set pulses racing outside of Catalonia as FC Barcelona’s dominance over RCD Espanyol has been pretty thorough dating back to 1928. In 206 league matches, Barcelona have won 120 and drawn 42, leaving Espanyol with only 44 victories. 

But Wednesday’s Barcelona Derby was played in the Copa del Rey — where the magic happens. The first leg of their quarterfinal matchup at RCDE Stadium saw Barca field a strong starting XI, including Lionel Messi (the all-time leading scorer in the Barcelona Derby with 20 goals), Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique. 

16-Year-Old Claudia Pina Becomes Barcelona’s Youngest-Ever Player

Aged just 16 years, five months and two days (for comparison’s sake, Lionel Messi was 17 years, three months and 22 days), teenage Catalan phenom Claudia Pina made her league debut for FC Barcelona Femeni Sunday in the club’s 2-0 victory over Zaragoza.

Pina has been a revelation for Barcelona throughout her La Masia rise, and her exploits for Spain at the U-17 level have been remarkable, to say the least.

I Guess Ousmane Dembele’s Got His Swagger Back

You might’ve forgotten about Ousmane Dembele following his 20-game layoff due to a thigh muscle rupture, and that’s OK. Really, missing that many games accounts for roughly 20 percent of the kid's career so far. 

Real Betis And Its Fans Are So In Sync It’s Beautiful

Real Betis defeated its city rival Sevilla 5-3 in La Liga on Saturday at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, a fantastic victory for the mid-table club over a team fighting for a Champions League place. When Real Betis players returned from the crosstown trip, they were greeted by hundreds of fans packing the streets to welcome home their heroes after triumph in the Seville Derby. 

The scenes were a beautiful reminder of the link between club and fan. The two groups were in total sync with their celebrations. 

Barcelona Prove How Much They Need Coutinho By Obliterating Celta Vigo, 5-0

Philippe Coutinho was in the stands, but the only two players Barcelona needed against Celta Vigo Thursday were Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba. Meet me once Barcelona go up 3-0.

Barca Sign Mascherano Replacement, Bringing An End To His Anus-Tearing Days In Catalonia

According to the latest reports, Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune and FC Barcelona have finally agreed to terms on the transfer of 33-year-old Argentinian defender Javier Mascherano, bringing a close to seven-and-a-half illustrious seasons at the Camp Nou.

Lionel Messi Cuts Once, Twice, Thrice On Ivan Rakitic And Ruins His Day

Sometimes I think about Michael Owen. It’s a certain thought experiment pertaining to Owen joining Manchester United in 2009 as a 29-year-old on a two-year deal and playing very, very little. With most expecting him to find a new club in 2011 after starting only six Premier League matches in two seasons, he instead signed a one-year extension while explaining his decision thus:

Luciano Vietto’s Amazing Hat-Trick Of Ever-Increasing Quality For Valencia

Valencia eased into the Copa del Rey quarterfinals with a 4-0 victory over Las Palmas at the Mestalla on Tuesday, the Cup match playing out entirely like La Liga’s third-place side going up against the club in 20th. Valencia’s Luciano Vietto, who’s on loan at Los Che from Atletico Madrid, scored an amazing hat-trick of ever-increasing quality to lead the way.

The 24-year-old Argentinian gave Valencia a 1-0 advantage (2-1 on aggregate) in the 30th minute with a side-footed finish on the rebound after Simone Zaza’s header was miraculously saved by Raul Lizoain. 

CRISIS Team Meeting Makes Zidane 90 Minutes Late For News Conference

Are Real Madrid in CRISIS? Should they purchase Mohamed Salah, Mauro Icardi and Harry Kane tomorrow, forming the attacking trifecta SIK? In turn, should they offer BBC + Keylor Navas to Manchester United in exchange for David de Gea? After losing three of their opening 17 La Liga matches, these are the questions facing the back-to-back European champions and manager Zinedine Zidane.

Andres Guardado Is Rolling Toward The World Cup In Princely Form

Aged 31, Mexico international Andres Guardado recently told FIFA.com that he now prides himself more on bringing “balance to the team” rather than being the “box-to-box player” of old, so the Real Betis midfielder is probably less than pleased with the club’s defensive record this season — they’ve allowed 34 goals in 18 matches, third-worst in La Liga.

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